If you decide to skip step one, I can’t help you; because after 5 seconds of this project I thought: WHY ON GOD’S GREEN EARTH DID I BUY THIS THING?

LET’S THROW IT IN THE TRASH RIGHT NOW.

Unfortunately I couldn’t tell Paul about the new and improved plan of throwing the sofa directly into the trash, because earlier that afternoon I was dancing around and hooting about getting a John Jelliff loveseat for $50, and Paul said— I think you are going to spend a day on it, realize the scope of the project, get frustrated, lose interest, leave it in the garage, forget about it, then it will be in my way every time I try to work in there, and I will end up finishing it.

And I was all— what! lol! no way! YOU MUST NOT KNOW ME AT ALL!!

Fast forward three hours, I was like— GOOD NEWS FOR YOU, PAUL!
So now Paul is a certified upholsterer.

The lesson here is: know thyself.

Or alternately: marry someone who cannot stand to see an unfinished project.

Part of the problem was the tacks… this sofa frame contained all of the tacks in the entire history of mankind.

ALL OF THEM.

The tacks eradicated my will to live.

By the time I had stabbed all of my fingers with the chisel/pliers/tack-pulling-accoutrements, I was like— new plan! LEAVE THE TACKS WHERE THEY ARE AND ABANDON THIS DUMPSTER FIRE.

Fortunately, Paul.

Tying the springs came next.

If you don’t know about tying springs, believe me, you’re fine.

But if you’d like an explanation, here it is:
Back in the dark ages, people didn’t have foam and cheap furniture.

So people who might otherwise have been rocket scientists, were like– OK! Let’s take this rope and these springs and secure them in a way that the furniture seat has a nice rounded rise/shape to it.

And as you look at these next photos, please process how the springs lining the frame must have DIFFERENT compression from front to back! Because it’s more fun that way!

All you have to do is be sure that the back row and side rows and front rows are more smushed than their interior counterpart, and then you also need to consider the compression on the center springs, (not TOO much! just enough!) and also be sure that it’s all EVEN and generally a gently rounded masterpiece.

I (mistakenly) consider myself a reasonably intelligent person, so I assumed I’d be able to tie knots around metal coils.

I literally could not understand what was happening after the first two steps.

Even watching the youtube instructions while standing directly in front of the springs and holding the rope, I could not understand past step two.

Fortunately, Paul.

The boards on the seat are to compress the springs while getting the fabric pulled taut and smooth.

If this is the wrong way to do this part of the process, please keep that comment to yourself because any project this irritating is absolutely correct if someone else is doing it for you and you do not even have to be involved.

The base layer of fabric is upholstery jute— it’s like a very tightly-woven burlap. You want it at least 17 oz. (regular burlap is about 10 oz. per sq. yd).

We kept the original jute on the back pieces because it was in surprisingly good condition.

Wow! Almost done! All I had to do was choose fabric.

I wanted something light-colored; a true antique shade would be rich/jewel-toned, but I wasn’t going for authenticity.

I wanted something bright to highlight the sofa frame’s details and help it stand out from the portal to Narnia, (and my general fondness for buying things-I-don’t-need-and-have-no-spot-for-so-use-this-as-my-storage-inn-of-awesomeness-and-crap.)

So I doubled down on my commitment to manifesting the exact shade that lived in my head… a light grey-ish blue, with no whiff of green or lavender.

After going to all 57 stores on fabric row, and also to every place in a 30 mile radius, I realized that no storefront carried the imaginary fabric that lived in my head.

So irritating.

Fortunately the internet was invented for exactly this purpose: assisting you in compulsively spending AS MUCH TIME AS NECESSARY searching for imaginary fabric.

I ordered all kinds of velvet swatches… ALL kinds. Possibly I ordered ALL OF THE SWATCHES IN ALL OF THE WORLD.

Then! Finally! Success!

I ordered the fabric… helped Paul put it on… and then realized that the one and ONLY factor in choosing upholstery fabric should NOT be your inner-color-troll of shade-perfection (she is also the manager of the custom-paint-laboratory); it should be the AVAILABILITY OF MATCHING TRIM.

So now I have to try to match trim after the fact.

And according to my research thus far, I’ve chosen a fabric that has no matching trim in all of the world.

Paul says this is because I do not think things through to their logical conclusion.

Which is A– true. And B– irrelevant, because if the perfect shade of blueish-greyish is not controlled by the laws of time and space and availability of matching trim, HOW IS THAT MY FAULT?

In other news, little man Fetcher got adopted (I got a huge # of photos from his new momma and I can see they looooooove him!!) And I got this girl Fancy Feet! (there’s another photo of her on Instagram a few days ago)

121 Comments

I officially nominate your husband PAUL for sainthood. Does he actually have a job that makes real money in his spare time? You should pictures of him up here as well. Unfortunately for me I have the same brain as you do, but not such a patient husband.

Total backup from me!!!! I did a few old but beautiful chairs and honestly, it was so difficult and finger-damaging that I have successfully refrained from trying my hand on a sofa!
Paul for sainthood!

I admit … I have tried the reupholstering demon once or twice … I didn’t have a ” Paul” … 😐 So it sat … and sat and sat … I live through your blog because I am you … except you get your projects done .. either by you or Paul . I’m still living through your projects . Love your blog! 🌹❤❤❤

Do you think you could possibly turn the blog over to Paul for a day? I wonder what goes on in his head as you proceed through your daring escapades. How lucky were you to have found such a gem of patience and skill!

I reupholster antique furniture for weddings and I have your solution! Take your extra fabric to an upholstery store or seamstress and have them make you double welt cord trim. Perfect match for the fabric!

I am so with you on the upholstery thing! In your case, this is the absolute reason why you can never divorce Paul. Women around the world would enter a slug fest to get his attention. Final product is fabulous.

Im so glad you posted this! This past fall my husband went on a weekend hunting trip. Perfect opportunity to pick up that vintage couch I’d been eyeing. I was like 7 months pregnant, so I had to enlist my dad, and he was sworn to secrecy. This vintage sofa needs reupholstered and I’ve no idea how to do it, but you’ve given me hope! Yours turned out beautiful!

other option is to make your own using your original fabric. make two lots of piping and sew them together with the hem edges facing the same way. then put the hem edges underneath and sew down. looks like double piping… i am sure paul can make it!

Elizabeth, there ARE blogs explaining how you can make miles of tiny little tassle-trimmings…. I saw one only days ago and I thought WHO ON EARTH would want to do that as a DIY project – now I know.
BEAUTIFUL sofa but only thanks to Hero Paul useable (is that English?) – AND the little darling’s photo with the fluffy paws – so much happiness in one post.

It took me two years to reupholster one balloon backed chair. Cursed with itty bitty nails, tacks AND decorative brads. I felt trapped on the second level of Dante’s inferno. Your Paul failed to show up and rescue me. I finally got on with it.

It took me two weeks to finish the second one. The next time I started a project with itty bitty nails I got smart and hired my handyman to come help. He’d never done upholstery before. I told him it was good for his resume.

Dearest VEB, I share your pain because I have reupholstered many, many chairs. Tacks and staples? I do that in the comfort of my family room with the TV on. Slow and easy is the trick to saving your fingers. One full length movie is time enough to do a chair. The spring tying thing terrifies me, so I have avoided sofas. (There is, however, a French recamier out in the garage that I hope to tackle soon.)

For your gimp – well, the double welted in matching fabric will certainly do but it has a very contemporary look.